I am not afraid to nor will I refrain from speaking out against the inequality that is so pervasive in many workplaces across our country. One only needs to point to the annual glass ceiling study by Catalyst, a premier research institute for women in the workplace, to easily deduce that today's workplace is not a level playing field - for women, for minorities, and for many other categories of people. This specific study reveals that there is a huge gap in the percentage of women in the workplace and the percentage of women who sit on corporate boards and in the c-suites of fortune 500 companies. This information raises an important question: Why does this inequity still exist in this day and age? One reason is our silence. This "silence" leaves inequality unchallenged, granting it an unwarranted and inhumane legitimacy.

Each community must challenge workplace inequity. Each community must aggressively and assertively speak out aggressively on this topic. And each individual must be willing to lend his/her voice in order to form a CollectiveVoice™, that will challenge the "Keepers of Inequity" those corporate leaders that perpetuate inequity in their work environment. It is essential that these leaders be called to task. As a country, we can no longer afford to be silent and allow the pervasiveness of workplace inequity to continue.

Please join me as I boldly seek to speak the truth: to alter and reeducate those provincial leaders who do not value difference, seeking to continue to exclude individuals based on group identity as opposed to their talents and/or abilities. I promise you that I will do all that I can to seek real change in workplaces across our country.

A Collective Voice

A CollectiveVoice™ is essential to achieve dynamic change. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that "a riot is the language of the unheard." The word riot in this quote suggests the gathering of more than one person to achieve one goal: to be heard. A CollectiveVoice™ is a unified front presented by persons that share the same ideals or beliefs culminating in a significant vehicle for bringing about change. The transition from a singular voice to the voices of many is essential in creating a collective identity and gives power to the messages presented by the group of people. The importance, power, and efficacy of A CollectiveVoice™ has been demonstrated throughout our history, from the independence and development of our country in the 1800's, to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's.

In the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, one woman, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat and was thrown in jail. As a result of her defiance, the Black community in Montgomery came together to stand with Mrs. Parks, and collectively refused to ride buses. At first, the boycotters were not taken seriously, and their willpower was underestimated. These community members were not thwarted by efforts to end their protest and remained headstrong. The CollectiveVoice™ of the members of this community led to the desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery. By choosing to become a CollectiveVoice™, the participants of the bus boycott had a dynamic impact on society and made history.

A CollectiveVoice™ is a powerful tool in bringing about change and is responsible for many of the freedoms that we enjoy today. It is important to understand the significance of a CollectiveVoice™ and its effectiveness in illustrating the concerns of many. The demand for change from one person may go unheard, but with the support of many people, their voice can be lifted to unimaginable heights. Together, the voice of many carries more strength and resonance than the voice of one. Please join the CollectiveVoice™ for equality in America's workplace.

Thank You

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
----Martin Luther King, Jr

I would like to personally thank all of the people throughout history who have struggled for freedom and individual rights in this country. From the liberation of our country on July 4, 1776 to the equality gained through the many years of both the Women's Rights and Civil Rights Movements, the current state of our country is a representation of the freedom and opportunity that many persons have fought and given their lives for. America is the land of the free, and there is no country more liberated or full of opportunity than ours.

I would like to thank you for your endurance, dedication, and commitment to ensuring that those who were oppressed were given a voice and a chance to live the American Dream. Thank you for having a vision and believing that there - could be a better America - that there would be an America where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Thank you for having the courage and strength to take a stand and for having the fearlessness and audacity to stand again when others sought to keep you down. Thank you for giving your life for the betterment of our lives and this country.

There is a special place in my heart for those that were killed at the hands of evil men- for the lives that ended too soon and were taken away without just cause. I thank those individuals who are remembered in our history books, but I especially thank those whose names are absent from history, those men and women who fought to give me the opportunity to live as I do today and pursue the American Dream. There truly is no better country than America.